Telia launches new distribution channel for mobile telephony

2003-08-20

Telia launches new distribution channel for mobile telephony

Telia has started to co-operate with the company Retail and Brands tosell mobile telephony services in a newly opened clothing departmentcalled "NK B-Tween" at the NK department store building in downtownStockholm. Telia is the first operator in Sweden, and probably inEurope, to sell mobile telephones and services together with fashionapparel.

Retail and Brands has 121 retail outlets in Sweden and owns the storeconcepts SOLO, Champagne, Polarn O. Pyret, Blombergs and Saks. Retailand Brands is also one of the major companies selling apparel at the NKdepartment store building in Stockholm.

Alternative distribution channels are new strategyThe first department combining fashion apparel and mobile telephonyservices, NK B-Tween, targets a young group of consumers. The departmentsells mobile telephones from Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Siemens - all withTelia subscriptions - and fashion clothing from the labels Nudie, Puma,We, Energie, Killah, Miss Sixty, Diesel, Fornarina and Svea.

"Clothing and mobile telephones are on the wish-lists of many youngpeople and the new department at NK gives us the opportunity to packagethese products in an attractive way," says Indra Åsander, head of theConsumer Segment at TeliaSonera Sweden.

"Mobile and Nudie jeans at a special price"The business model allows new types of sales offers that will bemarketed to consumers in campaigns featuring both mobile handsets andclothing. For example, NK B-Tween will be the only outlet sellingSiemen?s new designer telephone Xelibri.

"This is a new way to sell clothes and mobile phones. I am convinced itwill contribute to enhancing the experience for our customers and alsobenefit both our industries," says Mikael Solberg, CEO, Retail andBrands.

All store personnel at NK B-Tween have been trained in the mobile phonesand services that are for sale at the department. Each employee is alsoequipped with a camera phone. If they receive permission, the phone canbe used to photograph customers wearing different creations. The photosare then shown on plasma screens on site in the department and on thewebsite www.stilikon.se, which is being launched at the same time as thedepartment. With MMS messages, customers can also send photos ofthemselves in different fashion garments to friends and acquaintances inorder to get their opinion about the clothes they are considering tobuy.

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